Amusement apparatus.



H. N. RIDGWAY.

AMUSEMBNT APPARATUS.

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H. N. RIDGWAY.

AMUSBMENT APPARATUS.

-APPLIGATION FILED AUG. 9. 1907. 968,803, Patented Aug. 30, 1910. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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rm; NnRms PETE s co., wxs man n c HERBERT N. RIDGWAY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 30, 1910.

Application led August 9, 1907. Serial No. 387,775.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT N. RIDG- WAY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Boston, in the county of VSuffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Amusement Apparatus, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like letters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to an amusement apparatus, and especially to that type of apparatus which involves a revolving or rotating platform having an upper surface on which persons may sit, stand, or move about.

The object of the invention is to provide a novel device of this character in which the rotating platform has an upper surface of Such a shape that it will be difficult for persons t-o maintain their position on it when the platform is rotating rapidly, and still more difficult for a person to step on to the revolving platform and maintain his equilibrium.

For the purpose of illustrating the principle of the invention I have shown some embodiments thereof, but I wish it understood that the invention is not limited to the particular embodiments illustrated, as these are selected merely for the purpose of illustrating the invention.

Referring now to the drawings, Figure l is a plan view of an apparatus embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line y-y, Fig. l; Fig. 3 is a plan view of another embodiment of my invention; Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view showing still another embodiment of the invention.

The revolving platform may be arranged to rotate in a horizontal plane or may be arranged at an inclination to rotate in an inclined plane. In the embodiments herein illustrated, however, the platform is arranged to rotate in a horizontal plane.

As stated above, one of the objects of the invention is to provide a revolving platform having an upper surface of such a shape or contour that it will be very diliicult for persons to maintain their form while it is rotating.

In the present embodiments of my invention, I have shown the revolving platform as having a curved upper surface, which upper surface may be either convexly or positions on the pla-t-` concavely curved, as desired. Where the upper surface is convexly curved, the central portion thereof will be higher than the edges, and said surface will incline downwardly from the central ortion in all directions from the edge. here the upper surface of the platform is concavely curved, said upper platform is dished to present a sort of saucer shape.

In Figs. 1 and 2 I have shown a platform having a convexly-curved upper surface, and in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 a platform having the concavely-curved upper surface.

Referring now to Figs. l and 2, the revolving platform is designated generally by 3, it having the conveXly-curved upper surface 2 adapted for persons to sit or stand on or more over. This revolving platform is mounted on a supporting shaft 4 which rests at its lower end in a step bearing 5, and at its upper end passes through a centering bearing 6 by which it is centered. The upper end of the shaft 4 is shown as having secured thereto a hub 7 to which the rotating platform is secured. The bearing 6 may be held in its position by any suitable means, such, for instance as a framework 9 which extends laterally from the bearing in different directions and which serves not only to secure the bearing 6 in position, but to tie the two bearings 5 and 6 together.

The platform shown in Figs. l and 2 may be made and braced in any suitable way. I have, however, herein shown a plurality of radially-extending joists 31, each having a curved upper edge conforming to the curvature of the surface 2. Extending between the joists 3l are beams or supporting members 32 on which the flooring 33 is supported. The joists are tied together by beams 34 and the structure is braced by tension members 36 which are shown as extending outwardly from the hub 7. The boards of the flooring 33 are preferably arranged radially and are bent to the proper curvature, said boards, of course, being narrower at their inner ends than at the periphery of the platform.

In constructing the platform I prefer` to make the central portion of the platform 37 in one piece which may, of course, be built up from several boards, and which after being thus built up 'is turned so that the upper surface thereof will have the correct contour, and then to lay the boards 33 of the flooring radiating from the central member 37. This particular way of making and bracing the platform, however, is not essential to my invention. t Surrounding the rotary or revolving platform 3 is a stationary platform 11 from which a person may step on to the revolving platform. In the preferred embodiments of my invention, the stationary platform is entirely free and unobstructed, so that a person may step on to the revolving platform from any point of thestationary platform. Furthermore in the preferred embodiments, the upper surface 2 of the revolving platform is entirely free and unobstructed so that there will be no support projecting` above said surface which a person may grasp to assist him in maintaining his equilibrium. By thus placing all the bearings for the platform beneath the latter, as shown, it is possible to provide this free and unobstructed surface thereof. The outer edge of the revolving platform is preferably situated slightly above the surface of the stationary plat-form 11, as plainly seen in Fig. 2.

Instead of making the rotatable platform with the conveXly-curved upper surface, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, I may make it with the concavely -curved upper surface, as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. In said figures, the platform 3a may be made in any suitable way, as the dished or concavely-curved upper surface 2, the outer edges of which ineline upwardly from the center. This platform is shown as supported by the hub 7 which in turn is secured to the upper end of the shaft 4, and said shaft is supported in the bearings 5 and 6, all as described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2. The platform is braced by the compression and tension members 35a and 36a. In this embodiment of the invention also the revolving platform is surrounded by a stationary platform 11, and both the revolving and stationary platforms are free and unobstructed.

In Fig. 4 I have shown the portion 12 of the stationary platform 11 immediately cir cumjacent the revolving platform as inclined upwardly to meet the edge of the revolving platform. This is not essential, however, to my invention as the upper surface of the stationary platform immediately circumjacent the rotary platform may be a plain flat surface situated substantially at the level of the edge of the rotary platform, as shown in Fig. 5.

The rotatable platform may be idle and free to rotate in either direction in which case it would derive its rotary movement from the efforts of the persons occupying its upper surface, or it may be positively driven. It is the latter construction which I have herein shown.

In Fig. 2, the shaft 4 has on its lower end $5 a bevel gear 40 with which meshes a bevel gear 41 on a countershaft 42. Said shaft 42 may be driven from any suitable motor 23 which is controlled by a suitable rheostat or switch 24.

In Figs. 3 and 4, the shaft 4 is provided with a worm gear 2O which meshes with a worm 21 on a countershaft 22, and the countershaft 22 is driven by any suitable motor 23 which in turn is controlled by the rheostat 24. The upper surface of the revolving platform is of such a shape that it will be difficult for a person standing thereon to maintain his equilibrium while the platform is rotating.

IVhere the platform is provided with means for positively driving the same, as herein illustrated, the device may be used as follows: Vhen the platform is stationary, persons will gather on the upper surface thereof and either sit or stand thereon. At the appropriate time the motor is started thereby setting the platform in rotation and the speed of rotation may be readily controlled by means of the switch 24. Because of the curved contour of the upper surface of the platform, it will be very difficult for persons to maintain their equilibrium while the platform is rotating, and if the platform is rotated with considerable speed, a person will find it very diflicult to overcome the centrifugal force and maintain his position on the platform even though he be sitting thereon. This is especially true of the platform having the conveXly-curved surface, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. In this way very much amusement is afforded both to the persons occupying the platform and those watching the operation by the eorts of the occupants on the platform to maintain their position thereon while it is rotated. By unexpectedly increasing or decreasing the speed of the platform the difliculty of maintaining ones position thereon is still further increased as will be obvious.

I may if desired provide the stationary platform 11 with suitable padded stops 50 which are situated some distance from the revolving platform and which will serve to stop the momentum of a person if he should happen to be thrown from the revolving platform with considerable force.

It is my purpose to make the stationary platform fit closely enough to the periphery of the rotary platform so that it will be impossible for persons to get their fingers or any parts of their clothing caught between the two platforms.

I have illustrated herein some embodiments only of the invention and have not attempted to show all ways in which the invention may be embodied.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. An amusement apparatus comprising a rotary platform having a conveXly curved vunobstructed conveXly curved upper surface adapted for persons to congregate on, of a stationary platform surrounding the rotary platform.

5. In an amusement apparatus, the combination with a rotary platform having an unobstructed curved upper surface adapted for persons to congregate on, of an unobstructed stationary platform surrounding the rotary platform, and means to rotate the platform at a speed sufficient to impel objects thereon to the periphery thereof by centrifugal action.

6. In an amusement apparatus, the combination with a rotary platform having a convexly curved upper surface for persons to congregate on, of means for rotating said platform and for varying at will the speed of rotation thereof.

7. In an amusement apparatus, the combination with a rotary platform having a curved upper surface adapted for persons to congregate on, of means for rotating said platform positively, a stationary platform surrounding the rotary platform, and an annular wall rising from the stationary platform and encircling the rotary platform, said wall being situated some distance from the periphery of the rotary platform, thereby to leave an unobstructed annular space between said rotary platform and said wall.

8. In an amusement ap aratus, the combination with a rotary p atform having a conveXly curved unobstructed upper surface adapted for persons to congre ate on, of a shaft entirely beneath said platform for supporting the latter, and means to rotate said shaft.

9. In an amusement apparatus, the combination with a rotary platform having a curved unobstructed upper surface adapted for persons to congregate on, of a shaft entirely beneath said platform for supporting the latter, means to rotate said shaft, a stationary platform surrounding the rotary platform, and an annular wall rising from the stationary platform and encircling the rotary platform, said wall being situated some distance from the periphery of the rotary platform, thereby to leave an unobstructed annular space between said rotary platform and said wall.

l0. In an amusement apparatus, the combination of a platform, means whereby said platform may be rotated, and a landing encircling, and adjacent to the edge of said platform adapted to receive persons expelled lfrom said platform without likelihood of mgury.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specication, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HERBERT N. RIDGVVAY.

Witnesses:

MARGARET A. DUNN, BERTHA F. HEUSER. 

